Mine shaft mucking apparatus



April 22, 1952 c. F. oseoon 2,593,693

MINE SHAFT Mucxmc APPARATUS Filed Feb. 18, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet l April 22, 1952 c. F. oseoon MINE SHAFT MUCKING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 18, 1946 I111 Qw I l l I x 4 I c. F. oseooo MINE SHAFT MUCKING APPARATUS April 22, 1952 4 Sheets- Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 18, 1945 Patented Apr. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Manufacturing Company,

Pennsylvania a corporation of Application February 18, 1946, Serial No. 648,383

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to mine shaft muckin apparatus and more particularly to an improved power operated shoveling apparatus for removing blasted material, such as loose rock or muck, from the bottom of a vertical mine shaft.

In the sinking of vertical mine shafts, it has heretofore been common practice to remove the loose rock or muck from the bottom of a mine shaft by hand shovels, a task which is not only laboriuos but also time consuming and costly. In known instances, power operated shoveling apparatus has been employed in loading out the rock from the shaft and while the task of shoveling the rock by such apparatus has been made relatively easy, it has been found not entirely satisfactory since frequent adjustments and rearrangements of connections with the shaft walls were necessary, thereby reducing over-all efficiency. Further in the sinking of vertical mine shafts, it is necessary to remove the apparatus from the shaft bottom during the blasting operation, thereby to prevent damage to the apparatus due to flying rock and in previously known apparatus, removal of the apparatus from the vicinity of the shaft bottom prior to blasting involved relatively complicated adjustments and partial dismantling of the apparatus.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved mine shaft mucking apparatus whereby the removal of the loose rock or muck from the shaft bottom is made relatively easy and wherein the time consumed and cost of removal of the loose rock may be materially reduced. Another object is to provide an improved shaft mucking apparatus embodying improved power operated shoveling means whereby the loose rock or muck at the shaft bottom may be easily and expeditiously removed. A further object is to provide an improved power operated shoveling apparatus for removing loose rock from the bottom of a mine shaft and embodying improved means for positioning and operating the shovel. Yet another object is to provide an improved shaft mucking apparatus which is sup ported in the shaft near the shaft bottom during operation thereof in an improved manner and which may be readily elevated out of harms way during the blasting operation. A still further object is to provide an improved shaft mucking apparatus which may be supported in the shaft near the shaft bottom without the use of tempo- 'rary sets or other complicated supporting structure. A still further object is to provide an improved shoveling apparatus for loading the loose rock at the bottom of a mine shaft into a hoisting bucket, and so constructed that the hoisting bucket is carried by the apparatus during the loading operation is a position wherein its weight tends to counterbalance the loads on the shovel during the digging operation. Yet another object is to provide an improved shaft mucking apparatus which is located near the shaft bottom and which is suspened from the permanent set of the shaft excavation in an improved manner. A further object is to provide an improved shaft mucking apparatus having improved arrangements and combinations of parts. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in .practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a shovelin apparatus constructed in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention and showing the apparatus in operating position in a vertical mine shaft.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 4 and illustrating the trolley wheel drive.

Fig. Bis an enlarged plan view, with parts broken away, of the improved shoveling apparatus.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 1', looking toward the rear end of the shoveling apparatus and showing the shovel in raised position.

Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view illustrating a mine shaft and showing the improved shoveling apparatus in loading position near the shaft bottom.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, showing the shoveling apparatu in an elevated position a substantial distance above the shaft bottom.

As shown in the drawings, a horizontal guide frame I has end jacks 2 engageable with the shaft walls for steadying the frame during the loading operation, and the frame has parallel track rails 3, 3 along which the wheels 4 of an overhead trolley 5 are adapted to travel. The jacks -2 are herein of the conventional manually adjustable screw type although obviously other conventional types of jacks such as quick acting power'jacks be employed. Suspended from the trolley beneath the guide frame is a shovel frame 6 carrying a shovel I, and the shovel frame is swivelled to turn horizontally relative to the trolley. As shown in Fig. 4, the shovel frame has an upper horizontal plate 8 having secured thereto an upstanding tubular member 9 which passes through a bearing sleeve Ill supported in a vertical bore in the bottom of the trolley casing Keyed to the upper portion of the tubular member 9 is a circular bearing plate |2 which rests on conventional ball bearings l3 received in an annular groove on the upper surface of the bottom of the trolley casing. Secured as by screws to the tubular member 9 above the plate [2 and resting on the latter is an annular retaining plate l4. Thus the shovel carrying frame 6 is swivelled on the trolley to turn about an upright axis, thereby to permit movement of the shovel horizontally into different laterally located digging positions. A reversible motor l5 Which may be of a conventional design is carried by the trolley above the guide frame I, and the motor power shaft is connected through a conventional slip clutch |6 (Fig. 4) to a worm shaft suitably journaled in a housing l8 secured to an inner side of the trolley casing. A worm IS on this worm shaft meshes with a worm wheel keyed to the upper end of a vertical shaft 2| likewise suitably journaled in the housing. Fixed to and driven by the shaft 2| is a spur gear 22 meshing with a large spur gear 23 herein formed integral with the circular bearing plate l2. Also carried by the trolley above the guide frame is a conventional reversible motor 24 having its power shaft connectedthrough spur gear trains 25, 25 (Fig. 2) to. the axles 26 of the trolley wheels 4. Secured to the inner sides of the trolley wheels are spur pinions 21 meshing with the teeth of parallel racks 28 formed at the inner sides of the track rails as shown in Fig. 4. In, lieu of pinions and racks, suitable sprockets and chains may be employed if desired. The trolley has side frames 29 arranged at the outer sides of the trolley wheels and carrying rollers3|l which engage the under sides of the outer side flanges of the track rails for preventing undesired tilting of the trolley with respect to the guide frame during the loading operation The motors l5 and 24 are herein preferably of the compressed air operated type and the means for controlling these motors and for supplying compressed air thereto will hereinafter be described.

The shovel of the improved shoveling apparatus may be mounted and actuated in a manner fully described in the R. C. Osgood Patent No. 2,268,570, patented January 6, 1942. The shovel is carried by side arms 3| mounted on the shovel frame between vertical side plates 32, 32 and the arms carry rolls 33 guided in longitudinal guideways secured to the inner sides of the side, plates. The. side arms are formed with semicircular segments 34 which have arcuate peripheral surfaces struck on radii extending from the roller axes. The rollers engaging the guideways provide a rolling pivotal support for the shovel, and serve to confine the shovel against undesired. vertical displacement either upwardly or downwardly. Spring tensioned cables 35, 35 are connected between the arms and the shovel frame and are guided in arcuate grooves on the arm segment peripheries and these cables serve to compel bodily movement of the arms as the latter are swung in the manner described in the patent above referred to. Carried by the bottomof the shovel frame between the vertical side plates 32 is a conventional reversible motor 36 (see Fig. 5) also of the compressed air actuated type, and the motor power shaft is connected through a chain and sprocket drive 31 to a transverse shaft 38 suitably journaled in bearing brackets secured to th inner sides of the vertical side plates 32. the shaft 38 are drums 39 on which flexible side chains 40 are wound, and thesechains are secured to the shovel side arms 3| and have their intermediate portions passing around the arcuate peripheral surfaces of the arm segments 34. As the drums 39 are driven in winding direction by the motor 36, shovel is swung upwardly and rearwardly from its lowered digging position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 to its raised dumping position shown in dotted lines in that figure. Supported by a transverse frame member 4| extending between and bracing the vertical side plates 32 are buffer springs 42, and when the shovel is swung upwardly on its rolling mounting and approaches its raised dumping position, the shovel side arms 3| engage these buffer springs and the latter provide a cushioned stop for the shovel. When the rearward movement of the shovel is abruptly stopped by the buffer springs, the shovel contents are discharged into a chute 43 which directs the material into a receptacle such as a conventional hoisting bucket 44 carried by a platform 45 supported at the rear end of the shovel carrying frame '6. The chute has a hopper-like frame 46 pivoted at 41 on brackets 48 secured to the outer sides of the vertical side plates 32 and the chute may be swung upwardly about its pivot into an out-of the-way position between the vertical side plates wherein it rests against the frame member 4| of the spring buffer. The platform 45 is pivoted at 49 on brackets 50 secured to the bottom of the shovel carrying frame 6 and the platform has arms 5| which underlie and engage the bottom of the shovel carrying frame when the platform is in bucket-supporting position. When not in use, the platform 45 may be folded upwardly against the rear end of the shovel carrying frame. The chute and the platform, when swung upwardly at the rear end of the shovel carrying frame, provide an extremely longitudinally compact structure which may be readily swivelled in the shaft to locate the shovel in loading positions at either end of the mine shaft even when the width of the shaft is relatively narrow. The folding of the chute between the side plates of the shovel carrying frame also facilitates placing of the empty bucket on the platform and removal of the filled bucket from the platform. By supporting the hoisting bucket on the platform 45 at the rear end of the shovel carrying frame, the weight of the bucket tends to counterbalance the loads on the shovel during the digging operation in an obvious manner, and the shovel may discharge its contents into the bucket irrespective of the horizontally swivelled position of the shovel.

} Pressure fluid may be supplied to the motors I5, 24 and 36 through a supply hose 53 which extends down the shaft from a suitable source of compressed air supply at the surface. The supply hose is suitably connected at its lower end to a supply pipe 54 and there are branch pipes leading to conventional reversing valves 55, 56 and 51, each having a suitable operating handle. The valves 55 and 56 are connected by supply and exhaust hoses 58, 59 and 6|], 6| which extend up through the tubular member 9 of the shovel Secured to and driven by frame swivel, as shown in Fig. 4, to the conventional supply and exhaust pasages of the motors I and 24. The valve 51 is connected by similar suitable cage or cab for the operator may be provided to protect him from possible injury due to falling rock.

To prevent undesirable twisting of the supply and exhaust hoses, which extend through the swivel of the shovel carrying frame to the motors I5 and 24. The valve 51 is connected by similar on the underside of the circular bearing plate I2 is engageable with a stop member 68 on the bottom of the trolley casing. These stops are so arranged as to permit the necessary range of swing of the shovel but to prevent turning of the shovel carrying frame through 360. If suitable swivel connections are provided for the supply and exhaust hoses within the swivel, the stop lugs could be omitted.

A vertical mine shaft is shown diagrammatically in Figs. 7 and 8 and near the surface level the shaft walls are lined with concrete as at ID to prevent caving. Into the concrete there are permanently set suitable rectangular frames or so-called sets II of steel or timber, and these set-frames are of a shape corresponding to the rectangular outline of the shaft being sunk. The set-frames are placed from the top of the shaft down along the shaft walls as the sinking of the shaft progresses in the manner well known to those skilled in the art. The shoveling apparatus is suspended from the permanent set-frames of the shaft by a conventional power operated hoist 12 supported by a suitable platform 13 on one of the set-frames and the hoist drum has a hoisting cable I4 wound thereon and the hoisting cable is attached to suitable bails I5, 15 pivotally attached at I6 to the sides of the guide frame I near its ends in the manner shown. Suitable remote control means for this automatic hoist may be provided on the shoveling apparatus so that the operator may readily control raising and lowering of the shoveling apparatus in the mine shaft without leaving his control station. If desired, the automatic hoist may be mounted on the trolley of the shoveling apparatus and may be driven by the trolley wheel driving motor 24.

The hoisting bucket 44 has a pivoted'bail IS-attachable to a hoisting cable 19 whichextends up wardly through vertically alined openings in the set-frames and around a sheave 86 mounted at the tipple, and the cable extends from the sheave to the drum of a conventional surface hoist. During blasting of the rock at the shaft bottom, the shoveling apparatus is elevated by the hoist- I2 out of danger from flying rock a substantial distance above the shaft bottom as shown in Fig; 8. After blasting, the hoist I2 may be operated to lower the shoveling apparatus down in the shaft to the position shown in Fig. '1 near the 6 the bucket. The shovel I may then be swung downwardly under the control of the side chains 40 and the'motor 36 into its digging position below the bottom of the shovel frame with the back of the shovel resting. against a buffer 8| secured to the bottom of the shovel frame, as shown in Figs. 1 and '7, and the trolley wheel driving motor 24 may be operated to propel the trolley along the track rails 3 of the guide frame I to cause the shovel to dig into the loose rock on the shaft bottom. As the shovel digs into the loose rock, it will be moved slightly up and down by the raising motor 36 to facilitate the digging operation. When the shovel is filled, the shovel raising motor 36 may be operated to cause the side chains 40 to swing the shovel upwardly and rearwardly on its roller mounting into its raised dumping position, and when the shovel is abruptly stopped by the buffer springs 42, the shovel contents are discharged into the chute 43 which directs the material into the hoisting bucket 44. During the loading operation, the motor I5 may be operated to turn the shovel carrying frame on its swivel mounting with respect to the trolley to locate the shovel in difierent digging positions between the side walls of the mine shaft. Also the shovel carrying frame may be turned completely around to locate the shovel in a loading position at the opposite side of the mine shaft. When the hoisting bucket 44 is filled with material, the chute 43 may be swung upwardly out of the way and the hoisting cable I9 of the surface hoist may be operated to raise the bucket rapidly to the ground surface. A spare bucket may then be placed on the platform 45 so that the shovel may be operated to fill the spare bucket during hoisting and lowering of the other bucket. Also under certain conditions, an additional cable of a surface hoist may be attached to a bucket at the opposite side of the mine shaft so that the shoveling apparatus may load at the other side of the shaft during hoisting and lowering of the other bucket. The track rails 3 of the horizontal guide frame I are spaced apart a sufficient distance to permit passage of the hoisting bucket between the rails so that the filled bucket may be raised vertically directly from platform 45 and the empty bucket may be lowered into position directly on the platform. If desired, a separate winch on the shovelling apparatus may be used to handle the spare bucket or both buckets. As the loading of the loose rock at the shaft bottom progresses, the end jacks 2 may be momentarily released and the guide frame I lowered a short distance by the automatic hoist '12 to locate the shovel in a new digging position and thereafter the end jacks may be tightened to hold the guide frame firmly in position. Since the manner of operating the shovel is fully described in the patent mentioned above, further discussion thereof is herein unnecessary.

As a result of this invention, it will be-evident that an improved mine shaft mucking apparatus is provided whereby the removal of the loose rock or muck from the shaft bottom has been made relatively easy and the time consumed in the loading of the loose rock and the cost of such removal have been materially reduced. It will be further evident that by the provision of the improved power operated shoveling apparatus suspended near the shaft bottom from the perma nent set of the shaft'excavation, use of temporary sets and other relatively complicated supporting structure is made unnecessary. Further, by mounting the shoveling apparatus near the shaft bottom and by suspending the shovel from above, it. is possible to locate the operators station near the rock pile so that the loading operations may be closely observed. By mounting the receptacle into which the shovel discharges directly on the loading apparatus, the weight of the receptacle tends to counterbalance the loads on the shovel during the digging operation. Further, by suspending the shoveling apparatus from the permanent set of the shaft excavation, it is possible readily to elevate the apparatus into a relatively high position, thereby to prevent damage to the apparatus due to flying rock during the blasting operation. By suspending the shoveling apparatus from an overhead trolley, loading of the loose rock on the shaft bottom is made relatively easy and efficient. Other advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration, and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mine shaft mucking apparatus, the combination comprising a horizontal upper guide frame adapted to be positioned in a vertical mine shaft in engagement with the shaft walls near to-but spaced vertically from the shaft bottom above the pile of material to be loaded, a trolley movable horizontally along said guide frame, a support suspended from said trolley beneath said guide frame, a shovel mechanism carried by said support and disposable near the shaft bottom and including a shovel having a closed bottom, closed sides and a rear wall and provided with a digging lip at the bottom of its open side, means for pivotally supporting said shovel on said support for swinging movement in vertical planes through an arcuate path struck from a low point on said support from its lowered digging position at the forward side of said support upwardly and rearwardly in an arcuate path beneath said trolley and guide to an inverted raised dumping position at the rear side of said support for discharging its contents rearwardly through its open side, said shovel when in its lowered digging position being located below the forward portion of said support with the shovel bottom inclined forwardly and downwardly, away from the support bottom, power operated means for swinging said shovel supporting means in a vertical plane relative to said support to move said shovel as aforesaid, and power operated means on said trolley for moving said trolley and said support horizontally along said guide frame at a relatively slow digging speed to effect rectilinear penetrating movement of the inclined digging lip of said shovel into the pile of material on the shaft bottom when said shovel is in its lowered digging position and while said guide frame is maintained in firm engagement with the shaft walls. I

2. In a mine shaft mucking apparatus, the combination comprising a horizontal upper guide frame adapted to be positioned in a vertical mine shaft in engagement with the shaft walls close to but spaced vertically from the shaft bottom above the pile of material to be loaded, a trolley movable horizontally along said guide frame, a

support suspendedv from said trolley beneath said guide frame and swivelled on said trolley to turn horizontally relativev thereto about a vertical axis, a shovel mechanism carried by said swivelled support and disposable near the shaft bottom and including a shovel having closed sides, a closed bottom and a rear wall with its front side open to receive material to be loaded, means for mounting said shovel on said support for movement in vertical planes from a forwardly located lowered digging position upwardly and rearwardly in an arcuate path beneath said trolley and said guide frame to a rearwardly located inverted raised dumping position for discharging its contents rearwardly through its open side, said shovel when in its lowered digging position being located below the forward portion of said support with its bottom inclined forwardly and downwardly away from the support bottom, power operated means on said support for moving said shovel mounting means in a vertical plane relative to said support to move said shovel as aforesaid, power operated means on said trolley for moving said trolley and said support horizontally along said guide frame at a relatively slow digging speed to effect rectilinear digging movement of said shovel into the pile of material on the shaft bottom when said shovel is in its lowered' digging position and while said guide frame is maintained in firm engagement with the shaft walls, and means for turning said support about its vertical axis relative to said trolley to locate said shovel when lowered in different lateral digging positions near the shaft bottom.

, 3. In a mine shaft muckin apparatus, the combination comprising a horizontal upper guide frame providing a trackway and'disposable between the walls of' a vertical mine shaft near to but spaced vertically from the shaft bottom above the pile of material to be loaded, a trolley movable horizontally along the trackway of said guide frame between the shaft walls, a support suspended from said trolley beneath said guide frame and having laterally spaced side supporting elements providing an open space therebetween through the top portion of said support beneath said trolley, a shovel mechanism carried by said support and disposable near the shaft bottom andincluding a shovel having a closed bottom, closed sides and a rear end wall and having a digging lip at the bottom of its open side, means for pivotally supportingv said shovel on the lower portion of said support for swinging movement in vertical planes through an upwardly convex arcuate path from its lowered digging position at the forward side of and below said support upwardly and rearwardly through said open space near the top of said support to its inverted raised dumping position at therear side of said support for discharging its contents rearwardly through its open side, said shovel when in its lowered digging position being disposed beneath said support with its bottom inclined forwardly and downwardly, said support having its bottom forward portion open between said side elements to permitpositioning of said shovel below said support, poweroperated means for swinging said. pivotal supporting means for said shovel relative to said support to move said shovel as aforesaid, and power operated means for moving said trolley and said support horizontally along the trackway of said guide frame at a relatively slow digging speed to effect rectilinear penetrating movement of the digging lip of said shovel into the pile of material on the shaft bottomwhensaid shovel is in its lowered digging position.

b 4. In a mine shaft mucking apparatus, the combination comprising a horizontal upper guide frame providing a horizontal trackway and disposable between the walls of a vertical mine shaft near to but spaced verticallyfrom the shaft bottom above the pile of material to be loaded, a trolley movable horizontally along the trackway of said guide frame between the shaft walls, a support suspended from saidtrolley beneath said guide frame and swivelled to turn horizontally relative thereto about avertical axis and having laterally spaced side supporting elements providing open spaces therebetween through the top portion of said support beneath said trolley and at the forward lower portion of said support, a shovel mechanism carried by said support and disposable near the shaft bottom and including a shovel having a closed bottom, closed sides and a rear wall and having a digging lip at the,bot-.

tom of its open side, said shovel when in its lowered digging position movable within said lower space beneath said support with its bottom inclined forwardly and downwardly, means for pivotally supporting said shovel on the lower portion of said support for swinging movement in vertical planes through an arcuate path from its lowered digging position at the forward side of and below said support upwardly and rearwardly through said open space near the top of said support to its inverted raised dumping position at the rear side of said support for discharging its contents rearwardly through its open side, power operated means for swinging said pivotal supporting means for said shovel relative to said support to move said shovel as aforesaid, power operated means for moving said trolley and said support horizontally along the trackway of said guide frame at a relatively slow digging speed to effect rectilinear penetrating movement of the digging lip of said shovel into the pile of material on the shaft bottom when saidshovel is in its lowered digging position, and power operated means for turning said support about its vertical axis relative to said trolley to locate said shovel when lowered in different lateral digging positions near the shaft bottom with respect to the pile of materialto be loaded.

5. In a mine shaft mucking apparatus, the combination comprising a horizontal upper guide frame providing a trackway and adapted to be positioned in an uprightmine shaft close to but spaced vertically from the shaft bottom above the pile of material to be loaded, a trolley movable 1 horizontally along said guide frame, a support suspended from said trolley beneath said guide frame, a shovel mechanism carried by said support and disposable near the shaft bottom and including a shovel and means for pivotally supporting said shovel on said support for swinging movement in vertical planes through an arcuate path struck from a low point on said support from its lowered digging position in the forward side of said support upwardly and rearwardly in an arcuate path beneath said trolley and guide frame to an inverted raised dumping position at the rear side of said support for discharging its contents rearwardly through its open side, spaced buffer means on said support, one located at and depending from the bottom of said support and against which said shovel rests when in its lowered digging position with said shovel inclined rearwardly beneath said support and the other located near the top rear side of said sup- 10 port for abruptly halting rearward movement of said shovel when it reaches its raised dumping position so that the shovel contents are thrown rearwardly from said shovel, the lower forward portion of said support'having an open space between its sides whereby said shovel may swing downwardly into its digging position beneath said support against said bottom buffer means, power operated means for swinging said shovelsupporting means relative to said support to move said shovel from its lowered digging position to its raised dumping position as aforesaid, and power operated means for moving said trolley and said support horizontally along the trackway of said guide frame at a relatively slow digging speed to effect rectilinear penetrating movement of said shovel into the pile of material on the shaft bottom when said shovel is in its lowered digging position against said bottom buffer means. y

6. In a mine shaft mucking apparatus, a horizontal upper, guide frame adapted to be positioned in a mine shaft relatively near but spaced Vertically from the shaft bottom above the pile of material on the shaft bottom, a trolley movable horizontally along said guide frame, a support suspended from said trolley beneath said guide frame and swiveled on said trolley to turn horizontally, about a vertical axis, a shovel mechanism carried by said swiveled support and disposable near the shaft bottom and including a shovel movable upwardly and rearwardly in an arcuate path beneath said trolley in longitudinal vertical planes beneath a forwardly located lowered digging position below said support and a rearwardly located raised dumping position at the rear of said support, said support having its lower forward portion formed with an open space between its sides to permit swinging of said shovel into its digging position below said support, selfcontained power operated means carried by said trolley for moving the latter along said guide frame at a relatively slow digging speed to effect rectilinear loading movement of said shovel to cause digging of the latter into the pile of material on the shaft bottom, and self-contained means carried by said support for moving said shovel in said longitudinal vertical planes as aforesaid.

7. In a mine shaft mucking apparatus, a horizontal upper guide frame adapted to be positioned in a mine shaft relatively near but spaced vertically from the shaft bottom above the pile of material on the shaft bottom, a trolley movable horizontally along said guide frame, a support suspended from said trolley beneath said guide frame and swiveled on said trolley to turn horizontally about a vertical axis, a shovel mechanism carried by said swiveled support and disposed near the shaft bottom and including a shovel movable in an arcuate path upwardly and rearwardly beneath said trolley in longitudinal vertical planes between a forwardly located lowered digging position and a rearwardly located I raised dumping position, said shovel when in its lowered digging position disposed beneath the bottom of said support and the lower portion of said support being open between its sides to permit disposition of said shovel beneath said support, self-contained power operated means carried by said trolley for moving the latter rectilinearly horizontally along said, guide frame at a relatively slow digging speed to elfect loading movement of said shovel to cause digging of the latter into the pile of material on the shaft bottom, self-contained means carried by said support for moving said shovel in said longitudinal vertical planes as aforesaid, and means on. said trolley and said support for turning said support about said vertical axis relative to said trolley to locate said shovel when lowered beneath said support in different lateral digging positions with respect to the pile of material to be loaded.

8. In a mine shaft mucking apparatus of the kind adapted for use in anupright-mine shaft provided with a conventional permanent set, power operated vertically adjustable supporting means suspended directly from the permanent set of the shaft excavation in a position relatively near but spaced vertically from the shaft bottom above a pile of material to be loaded, said sup-' porting means including means engaging the shaft walls for firmly holding said supporting means in position during operation of the apparatus, a shovel carried by said supporting means and mounted thereon for movement upwardly and rearwardly in longitudinal vertical planes between a forwardly located lowered digging position below the bottom of said supporting means and a rearwardly located raised dumping position, and a support on said supporting means at the rear of the latter for supporting a receptacle into which said shovel discharges its contents with said receptacle located so that the weight of the receptacle tends to counterbalance the thrust loads on the shovel during the digging operation.

9. In a mine shaft mucking apparatus of the kind adapted for use in an upright mine shaft provided with a conventional permanent set, power operated vertically adjustable supporting means suspended directly from the permanent set of the shaft excavation in a position relatively near but spaced vertically from the shaft bottom above a pile of material tobe loaded and including means engaging the shaft walls for firmly holding said supporting means in position during operation of the apparatus, said adjustable supporting means including supporting means swivelly mounted to turn about a vertical axis, a shovel carried by said swiveled supporting means and mounted thereon for movement upwardly and rearwardly in longitudinal vertical planes between a forwardly located lowermost digging position below the bottom of said swiveled supporting means and a rearwardly located raised dumping position and swingable with said swiveled supporting means into different lateral digging positions near the shaft bottom, and a support on said swiveled supporting means at the rear side thereof for supporting a receptacle into which said shovel discharges its contents with said receptacle located so that the weight of said receptacle tends to counterbalance the thrust loads on the shovel during the digging operation irrespective of the swiveled position of said swiveled supporting means and the laterally located digging positions of said shovel, said adjustable supporting means reacting against the shaft Walls during said upward and rearward movement of said shovel.

10. An apparatus for mucking a mine shaft having a permanent set arranged vertically in the shaft excavation with its bottom located in arelatively high position in the shaft with respect to the shaft bottom, comprising a horizontal upper guide frame engageable with the shaft walls and providing a horizontal guideway, power operated extensible means for suspending said guide frame directly from said permanent set in a substantially horizontal plane a substantial distance below the permanent set relatively near but spaced vertically from the shaft bottom above a pile of material to be loaded, saidv frame en! gaging the shaft walls, a trolley guided by said guide frame and having wheels so as. toroll horizontally back and forth along said guideway, a support suspended from said trolley beneath said guide frame and swivelly mounted to turn on an upright axis, self-contained, reversible, operator controlled power means mounted on said trolley for moving the latter back and forth. along said guideway within the confines of the mine shaft, a shovel mechanism carried by saidswiveled support and disposable in a digging" position near the shaft bottom and including a shovel disposable in a forwardly located digging position be-. low the forward portion of said swiveled support, said self-contained power means being operative to move said trolley forwardly along said guideway at a relatively low digging speed to feed said shovel horizontally along a rectilinear path into the material to be loaded while said guide frame reacts against the shaft walls, and selfcontained operator controlled power operated means carried by-said swiveled support for operating said shovel mechanism to move said shovel upwardly and rearwardly beneath. said trolley from said forwardly located lowermost digging position to a rearwardly located raised dumping position at the rear of said swiveled support.

11. An apparatus for mucking a mine shaft having a permanent set arranged vertically in the shaft excavation with its bottom located in a relatively high position in. the shaft with respect to the shaft bottom, comprising an upper guide frame providing a horizontal guideway, power operated extensible means for suspending said guide frame directly from said permanent set in a substantially horizontal plane a substantial distance below the permanent set relatively near but spaced vertically from the shaft bottom'above a pile of material to be loaded, a trolley guided by said guide frame and having wheels so as to roll horizontally back and forth along said guideway, a support suspended from said trolley beneath said guide frame and swivelly mounted to turn on an upright axis, self contained, reversible, operator controlled power means mounted on said trolley for moving the latter back and forth along said guideway within the confines of the mine shaft, a shovel mechanism carried by said swiveled support and including a shovel disposable in a digging position below said support near the shaft bottom, said self-contained power means being ,operableto move said trolley forwardly along said guide frame at a relatively low speed to feed said shovel horizontally along a rectilinear path into the material to be loaded, self-contained operator controlled power operated means carried by said swivelled support for operating said shovel mech anism to move said shovel upwardly and rearwardly from its forwardly located lowered digging position to a rearwardly located raised dumping position at the rear of said support, and self-contained operator controlled power operated means for turning said support upon its swivel relative to said trolley to locate said shovel of said shovel mechanism in different lateral digging positions in the mine shaft with respect to the pile of material to be loaded.

12. In a shoveling apparatus for the purpose specified, a horizontal track arranged transversely in an upright mine shaft in engagement tion atthe opposite end of said swiveled support, a

means on said swiveled support at said opposite end for supporting a receptacle whereby the weight of the latter tends to counterbalance the thrust loads on said shovel during the digging operation, and a hopper mounted on said swiveled support at said opposite end for movement between its raised inoperative position and its lowered operative position with respect to said swiveled support, and said hopper when in its latter position being disposed above the receptacle for receiving the material discharged from the shovel and for directing the material into the receptacle.

CHARLES F. OSGOQD.

14 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 553,082 Thew Jan. 14, 1896 2,268,570 Osgood Jan. 6, 1942 2,326,172 Riddell Aug. 10, 1943 2,426,591 Boskovich Sept. 2, 1947 2,438,660 Garner Mar. 30, 1948 2,440,501 Erickson Apr. 27, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 156,395 Germany June 25, 1903 177,524 Germany Dec. 16-, 1904 486,168 Germany Nov. 29, 1929 577,621 Germany June 2, 1933 

